Instrument Cluster Removal?

[triumph2.5pi]

Oh dear, disappointing news from BBA Reman - they diagnosed a fault, but say it is not repairable They waived the test fee and are sending the unit back free of charge, which is good of them.

Could anyone advise if I have any options from here please? What if I bought a whole used instrument cluster (there's one on eBay for about £50) to replace the existing one. Could the mileage on that cluster then be reprogrammed to match the old one? Is there anything I would need to know in order to make this work? Would a replacement cluster even work at all? Thanks :-)

[mattylondon]

Originally Posted by triumph2.5pi

Could the mileage on that cluster then be reprogrammed to match the old one?

Yes, mileage can be adjusted. It's stored in an EEPROM within the cluster. It can be read / write in place with a suitable clip and 'tool'

Originally Posted by triumph2.5pi

Is there anything I would need to know in order to make this work?

I think you will need to know what IMMO generation you have in the D2 (I'm thinking it's Gen3 ??) and to have PIN's from both your cluster and the replacement cluster for the swap.

[triumph2.5pi]

Thanks for the reply mattylondon. I'm afraid as a complete layman I didn't really understand it!
So the mileage in a replacement cluster can be corrected to match the old one, that's good news.
This is the cluster that I saw on eBay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1119945436...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Can I just plug this in and it'll work??

[Architex_mA8tey]

I had in my mind that the instrument cluster in the FL D2's has the immobiliser chip built into it as well so I think it may well be an issue to just swap a cluster over

[pete-p]

I've swapped a cluster on a B5 S4 before but I think it was IMMO1 (1999 plate car with analogue clock), also changed the mileage which involved converting the current to KMH first. This was easy enough once I'd managed to get the Security Key Code (SKC) from each unit.

If the immobiliser chip is in the cluster is it not a matter of then coding the existing keys in or more complicated than that?

[mattylondon]

Originally Posted by triumph2.5pi

Can I just plug this in and it'll work??

I'm afraid not, no.

I just searched the factory repair manual as I'm unfamiliar with the D2, but it did confirm that from Feb 1999 the A8 has a Gen 3 Immobiliser which is within the dash panel.

You see the engine ECU, dash panel / immobiliser and keys are all paired together. Once one is removed it will not work in another car unless it's been adapted.

I've attached a print out from the WSM and do read the below link and watch the video's as the end.

https://sites.google.com/site/imnuts/

[triumph2.5pi]

Ok thanks very much indeed for the links, that's very helpful! :-)

[steamship]

I had my cluster replaced about a year ago. I got it done at an Audi dealership, as they have to code in the keys. I wasn't worried about getting the mileage changed as the one I managed to source from our sponsors was quite near my own, as I just arranged to take the car in when mine had got to around the same mileage as the donor one.

[ainarssems]

The simplest way would be to remove memory chip that stores mileage and key information from the old cluster and solder it into replacement cluster

[moltuae]

Originally Posted by ainarssems

The simplest way would be to remove memory chip that stores mileage and key information from the old cluster and solder it into replacement cluster

I haven't seen inside a D2 instrument cluster, but wouldn't it be possible to just swap the circuit boards?

OR .... if there's nothing else wrong with the original cluster, maybe just swap the LCDs?